Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (EdSails)

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:59:48 GMT

An amazing finish, for sure. I'm now trying to figure out how to change my drive back from the Glee Club meeting in Mobile to L.A. to include Smitty's Market and Weidmann's.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (ScreamingChicken)

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:25:07 GMT

Davydd

I second your impressive, exhaustive and excellent report.

What he said - you had a very good 2012, WJ! You picked out some excellent versions of a lot of my favorite foods.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (Davydd)

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 14:22:17 GMT

The Plastic Squeeze Bottle Trade Association says kudos. I second your impressive, exhaustive and excellent report.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (MetroplexJim)

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 10:19:19 GMT

WOW!

This is your "best ever"; thank you so very much for adding a bunch of places to my "Roadfood bucket list".

(You have a far happier life than Eugene Sue's character)!

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 09:52:35 GMT

kaszeta

wanderingjew

kaszeta

did you make it to Taqueria La Huasteca?

Yes. I was craving an aqua fresca and a fruit cup.

Now I'm very impressed, I was under the impression that Taqeruia La Huasteca was one of those secret hidden places that very few people know about.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (kaszeta)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:43:58 GMT

wanderingjew

kaszeta

did you make it to Taqueria La Huasteca?

Yes. I was craving an aqua fresca and a fruit cup.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (agnesrob)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:17:57 GMT

Photos and report wonderful, as always Dale! Thanks so much for your efforts!

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:19:20 GMT

quijote

It does look that way, but I'm almost positive that guy was on his phone..... Traditionally, vanilla wafers are used in the banan pudding, however it did taste more like cake..

will_work_4_bbq

You're right, I have taken quite a few photos of squirt bottles this year....I didn't realize how many until you mentioned that.

buffetbuster

At first I was hesitant to ruin good fruit with chili powder, but when in Tucson.... and the spice and fruit did mingle beautifully together...

kaszeta

did you make it to Taqueria La Huasteca?

BelleReve

funny you should mention that. Food network magazine contacted me and offered to pay me to publish my photo (I accepted of course) however it wasn't that photo, it was the photo of the oyster loaf.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (mr chips)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:10:21 GMT

Wonderful report and excellent photos. The year end summaries are excellent as always.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (BelleReve)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:57:30 GMT

wonderful trip report and pictures - those oysters on the half shell look like still life, you should enlarge the photo and frame it to hang in your kitchen.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (kaszeta)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 12:14:56 GMT

Somewhat surprised that in 2012 I went to four of your "Top 10 New Restaurants" list (all in TX). One of these days our paths will cross.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (buffetbuster)

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:53:15 GMT

Certainly can't argue with your choices WJ! Well done! Isn't it wonderful the way the chili powder brings out the flavor of the fruit of the pico de gallo?

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (FriedClamFanatic)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:32:41 GMT

Nice to see the write-up on Casamentos. I stumbled upon it on my way back from houston last year and also had a memorable oysterloaf.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (TJ Jackson)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:48:39 GMT

The Travelin Man

Could you please provide a list of the rules regarding how often a restaurant can appear on one's best of list? I get confused.

Also, do you tabulate the votes yourself, or do you outsource the work to an accounting firm. I hear Price Waterhouse does a bang-up job on these things.

One of the rules is - thou shalt not eat pizza no matter how good it is while in Atlanta

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (CajunKing)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:57:56 GMT

WJ
I had forgotten your early start to the Glee Club Mtg last year with your trip up through MS. I agree with you and BB about MS. It is a GREAT food state.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (will_work_4_bbq)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:13:57 GMT

Gorgeous pictures! I like how you tied many of the varied places together by showing a bottle of their sauce(s).

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (quijote)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:25:53 GMT

A fantastic top ten; thanks for sharing.

The Miss Myra's banana pudding looks great. Was it made with the typical ingredients, or was there something different in it that made it stand out? It looks like there's chunks of bread in it, but not sure.

In the second Miss Myra's pic, it looks like the guy sitting beyond the sauce bottle is giving us the bird, but maybe he's on a phone or is propping his head up.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:31:25 GMT

Here it is- The Grand Finale

Top 10 New Restaurants of 2012
(in order)

10. Pico De Gallo Tucson AZ

These beefy carne asada tacos are probably some of the best I ever enjoyed. Although I was disappointed that they were out of their coctel de elote, I did finish my meal off with their refreshing namesake dessert, perfect for a blistering hot day in the desert southwest.

9. Taqueria La Huasteca San Antonio TX

After being told by several locals to avoid the "gringos only" Taco Taco, I was directed here to Taqueria La Huasteca, and boy, I can tell you I have no regrets. My introduction to San Antonio Puffy Tacos was a top 10 hit. I ordered two Beef Barbacoa Puffy Tacos. T- and these were warm puffy delights of smoked/shredded beef goodness. I squirted both red and green on these bad boys . I quickly fell in love.

8. Chris Madrid's San Antonio TX

Like hotdogs, I'm always skeptical of regional variations of burgers, the Bean Burger is no exception.
When my meal arrived I could only look in amazement. This was truly one helluva superb burger. I ordered the "macho" size of course. For those who don't know what a bean burger is, it's a San Antonio Specialty loaded with cheese that envelops refried beans and tortilla chips hidden underneath. The salsa which you get at the salsa bar was the missing link to this gut busting burger.

7. Weidmann's Meridian MS

Found in earlier Roadfood books, Weidmann's is under new ownership and has received many rave reviews. How can you not like a place that offers ceramic pots of peanut butter with crackers for starters?
The Fried Green Tomato appetizer served with comeback dressing offered a crunchy exterior and the interior was just bursting with flavor and the homemade comeback dressing had a serious kick- this would be my first of three opportunities to enjoy comeback dressing on this trip- andWeidmann's was by far the best.
The main meal was Redfish Hannah with a side of creole cabbage. The sauce that accompanied the Redfish was creamy and spicy and loaded with shrimp and mushroom and did not detract from the sweet flavor of the redfish. The creole cabbage was remiscent of New Orleans. Although dessert was the weak part of the meal, the signature black bottom pie Chocolate pie with graham cracker crust dusted with cocoa was still solid.

6. Community BBQ Decatur GA

Community BBQ was one of the bbq joints in Atlanta that Heartbreak Soup led me to ....
This is now my official "go to" bbq joint in Atlanta. Starting out the meal with homemade creamy slaw and moving on to thick, smokey, flavorful brunswick stew, the pulled pork and rib sandwich . The bbq was smoked so well it really didn't need any sauce. This was the best meal of my Whistlin' Dixie trip.

5. Miss Myra's Pit BBQ Vestavia Hills AL

In suburban Birmingham, when I approached the parking lot which was permeated by the sweet scent of smoke, I knew i was in for something special
Miss Myra's specializes in Northern 'Bama white sauce Q. The chicken was outstanding. Smoke permeating the taut skin into the tender meat. The white sauce had a vingegary- mayo flavor and paired well with the bbq.    Even the deviled eggs and the beans were really good- These weren't bbq beans- these were mildly sweet, almost reminscent of Boston baked beans.
The nanner pudding was orgasmically amazing.

4. Ramon's Clarksdale MS

Ramon's an Italian restaurant in the Mississippi Delta is just as much ethnic as it is Southern.
Beginning with some extraordinary crispy, handbreaded onion rings, I moved on to some of the biggest and best fried shrimp I've ever enjoyed. So good that I nearly forgot the side of spaghetti in garlic butter sauce, but considering how amazing the shrimp was, it was worth ditching the spaghetti.

3. J Mueller's BBQ Austin TX

Who could think that such good things can come from a trailer with a smoker?. For starters, the sides at most Texas BBQ joints are really an after thought. At the fore front the smokey sausage, luscious fatty brisket and a tender beef rib is what defines Texas BBQ lore...

2. Casamentos New Orleans LA

Although I only took a photo of the freshly shucked oysters that was waiting to be served, this gumbo was pure perfection . The oyster loaf, dressed with lettuce and tomato, adding just a touch of hot sauce put this sandwich right over the top- probably one of my favorite stops in New Orleans.

1. Smitty's Market Lockhart TX

Smoked Meat.....Nuff said.....................

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 11:13:06 GMT

The Travelin Man

wanderingjew

TJ

Oh, I had plenty of pizza (and apizza) this year, all local (RI-CT-MA) so that cancels out eligibilty for the best of list. I also had pizza at one of my favorite pizza joints on Long Island at Station Pizza in Setauket, but since they made the honorable mention list back in 2009, that cancels out eligiblity again until 2013.

Could you please provide a list of the rules regarding how often a restaurant can appear on one's best of list? I get confused.

Also, do you tabulate the votes yourself, or do you outsource the work to an accounting firm. I hear Price Waterhouse does a bang-up job on these things.

Actually, I think Buffetbuster's list is more complicated. Top 10 Burgers? I don't even think I had 10 burgers this year- even locally...

In a nutshell I think my list might get boring if the Second Avenue Deli appeared year after year after...
So once a restaurant becomes a standby it can only make an appearance every 3 years...(Hey I make the rules)

Its a non local list- so rule out CT/RI/MA,

If I Included local restaurants my list would be full of obscure Steak Houses, Indian, Thai and Ethiopian restaurants that no one has heard of...

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (The Travelin Man)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 11:01:48 GMT

wanderingjew

TJ

Oh, I had plenty of pizza (and apizza) this year, all local (RI-CT-MA) so that cancels out eligibilty for the best of list. I also had pizza at one of my favorite pizza joints on Long Island at Station Pizza in Setauket, but since they made the honorable mention list back in 2009, that cancels out eligiblity again until 2013.

Could you please provide a list of the rules regarding how often a restaurant can appear on one's best of list? I get confused.

Also, do you tabulate the votes yourself, or do you outsource the work to an accounting firm. I hear Price Waterhouse does a bang-up job on these things.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:21:46 GMT

I will conclude my end of year report with the Grand Finale this evening.

On an aside, in order to put a couple of vacation days aside, I will not be going to Oklahoma this summer, just New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle (Amarillo)

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:33:12 GMT

I've seen favorable reviews on Aunt B's on the web. Perhaps if we ever decide on Northern Florida as a destination for President's Day Glee Club weekend, then checking the place out along the way would be ideal.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (mhill95)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:38:09 GMT

Aunt B's in Kingsland, Georgia is about 45 minutes North of
Jacksonville, Florida on I-95 . Its worth a stop just for the
veggies (lots of them)......the fried chicken and peach cobbler aren't bad either.
mike

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:10:53 GMT

agnesrob

Thoughout the years I've been amazed at the wide variety of interiors. It seems lately
many folks on the forum restrict roadfood style restaurants to the typical generic greasy spoon or diner. For example Weidman's in Meridian which used to be listed in the pre website roadfood books, is a classic regional restaurant with a roadfood atmosphere.

brisketboy.

As you can see, I'm not exactly a "big guy" and I try to avoid "all you can eat" restaurants for the most part. Many times I can barely finish whats on my plate.
Besides I don't even know where Kingsland is.

Unfortunately it appears my trips are going to be less frequent, it appears day to day expenses will prevent me from traveling as much in the near and far future so there are many places I would like to get to visit but won't be able to.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (brisketboy)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:54:44 GMT

I wish you would get around to Aunt B's southern cooking all you can eat in Kingsland Ga.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (agnesrob)

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:16:13 GMT

I'm always amazed at the wide variety of restaurant interiors and signage! Beautiful pictures. Great report as always WJ!l

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (kaszeta)

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:01:41 GMT

wanderingjew

kaszeta

I don't know when I'll ever find myself in New Orleans again, but I would certainly return to Tujague's again for that fine brisket in creole sauce.

Several of my favorite food pics are from there:

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:16:02 GMT

Buffetbuster

Just to give you an idea- 2 restaurants on the top 10 are in Mississippi.
I'll post the finale on Thursday...
--
on an aside...Billyboy was nice enough to send me some photos from Wo Hop in NYC since I didn't have any photos to post. I'll probably post those tonight.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (buffetbuster)

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:53:49 GMT

If some excellent places like Southside Market, Mi Nidito, Bon Ton Cafe and El Guero Canelo (a personal favorite of mine) could only make it to your honorable mentions list, then you have an incredibly strong Top 10. Can't wait to see it!

And I had forgotten what a great meal we had at Enrico Biscotti. Thanks for the reminder.

Re:Roadfood Rapture- The Best of 2012 (wanderingjew)

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:42:51 GMT

kaszeta

I don't know when I'll ever find myself in New Orleans again, but I would certainly return to Tujague's again for that fine brisket in creole sauce.

TJ

Oh, I had plenty of pizza (and apizza) this year, all local (RI-CT-MA) so that cancels out eligibilty for the best of list. I also had pizza at one of my favorite pizza joints on Long Island at Station Pizza in Setauket, but since they made the honorable mention list back in 2009, that cancels out eligiblity again until 2013.